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Claudius
By: Grace Alcaraz, Tenzin Chimi, and Holly Taylor
Introduction
Born on August 1, 10 B.C in
Gaul
Ruled from January 24, 41 to
October 13, 54 AD
Family Clan- Julio- Claudian
4th Roman emperor
Early and Family Life
His parents were Nero Claudius
Drusus and Antonia Minor
Suffered from a serious disease at
birth which left him deformed and
with a speech problem
Was the family “black sheep”
 His uncle was the emperor
Tiberius
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
Weaknesses
o Showed unusual respect
o Encouraged people to
express their opinions
o Hard work led to many
accomplishments
o Surprised many since he
was the black sheep of
his family
o Disfigured, awkward,
and clumsy
o Awful taste in women
o Rocky relationship with
the Senate
o Handled judicial
matters poorly
Effects on Roman Empire
Made major improvements to Rome’s
judicial system.
Passed laws protecting sick slaves
Extended citizenship and gave women
more liberties and privileges
Preserved Roman culture
Extended Rome’s control to North
Africa, the Balkan peninsula, and Asia
Minor
Political Life
• Rose to power after the assassination of the
previous emperor, Caligula, his nephew
• As emperor, he undid many of Caligula’s
injustices
• He led many successful military campaigns and
conquered many lands into the Roman Empire
• Achievements gained him respect and soon
made Rome the most powerful empire of all
time
Achievements
 Civil administration saw detailed
improvements in the judiciary
 Creation of a cabinet of freedom
 Extended the rights of Roman
citizenship to many Galic leaders
 Enlarged the Senate
 Port was built at Ostia
 Grain supply was stream lined
Achievements Continued
 Games and public ceremonies were
staged. Old religious traditions
revived
 Improved Rome’s water supply
 Added Mauretania and Thrace to
the Roman Empire
 Introduced internal reforms,
reorganized trade, and extended
civic rights to communities outside
of Italy
Ruling Etiquette
• Claudius ruled the empire well and repaired
most of Caligula’s damage
• He believed that the best way to rule was to
treat the people as equals
• Abolished all ridiculous laws that Caligula
created such as outrageous taxes and exiles
• Showed no favoritism amongst the people and
tried to keep peace in the empire
Love Life
After Silius was killed and after the scandal of
Messalina, Claudius decided to marry again in the
next year
Last wife was Agrippina, his own niece
Agrippina persuaded Claudius to disown his own
son, Britannicus, so that her son, Nero, would be
the next emperor
Agrippina poisoned Claudius with mushrooms,
although another dose of poison was taken to finally
kill him
Claudius died in Rome in 54 A.D (October 13 54 A.D
Fun Facts
o Claudius’ full name was Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero
Germanicus Cesar
o He was married 4 times
o He hired a prostitute, Calpurnia, to be his companion for
most of his days
o The word claudication originated with Claudius due to
his paralysis and diseases he dealt with through his life.
Claudication- to limp; limping
o He reigned in the time of Christ, though that did not
stop his persecution of the earliest Christians